Manuel and Mariesa Gonzales, 28, are far from their families in Albuquerque, but on July 4, the husband and wife enjoy the splendor of Boston’s fireworks at the Esplanade while loved ones watch the festivities on television back home.

“They enjoy seeing what we’re seeing,” said Mariesa, a student at Northeastern University. “They can be with us through what we’re viewing, whether it be sports games or holidays. It’s our way to connect.”

This summer, however, it will be much harder for the Gonzales’s families and others who enjoy Boston’s Independence Day from afar to catch the July 4 “Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular.” The show’s ratings have been on the decline, local organizers say, and the CBS Television Network has decided not to renew its contract with producers and it will only be televised locally.